Grade 7 Up–This comprehensive set includes clearly written, concise articles on hundreds of diseases, treatments, theories, behaviors, anatomical systems, and various other concepts and topics related to medicine and health. The alphabetically arranged entries include a "Questions and Answers" sidebar, color-coded by themes, that adds human interest to the more straightforward main text. Topics of interest include "AIDS," "Body Piercing," "Anthrax," "SARS," "Tattooing," "West Nile Virus," and "LASIK." Large color photographs and diagrams with informative captions vividly illustrate the concepts presented. Charts and other sidebars are included as well. The information is easily accessible through tables of contents, a topical outline, cross-references, and thematic and general indexes. The final volume includes an illustrated first-aid handbook and an extensive medical glossary. The articles are generally helpful, although depth of coverage is somewhat inconsistent. Topics range from the broadness of "Wellness" and "Zest" to the specificity of "Von Willebrand's Disease" and "Monosodium Glutamate" with no clear rationale for inclusion. "Stress" and "Tension" both receive individual articles, but the coverage fails to clearly differentiate between the two. While volume 18 includes a list for further reading and research, no documentation is provided. Concepts are usually covered with adequate background information for beginners, and common sense is emphasized regarding personal health-care choices.–Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
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From Booklist
This third edition furnishes up-to-date specifics on medical conditions and related health issues. Several variations from the previous (1998) edition are obvious at initial examination. Great attention has been paid to the general aesthetics of the set, which now features eye-catching cover images of diversified people in the act of giving or receiving health care. The layout of pages has been redesigned with more color sidebars and contemporary photographs, resulting in a fresh, more appealing, user--friendly format. Volume 18, the revamped index volume, is in itself a plethora of information, offering a "First Aid Handbook" that integrates diagrams and other visuals with a step-by-step guide to treating 18 common emergencies (a credit card--not a knife or a fingernail--is now suggested for the removal of a bee stinger), a glossary, and a directory of health organizations in addition to a variety of thematic indexes. The "Further Reading and Research" section, also found in volume 18, offers an array of publications and Web sites. Some of the cited books are scholarly and might be difficult for the lay reader to procure.
The alphabetically arranged entries vary in length from one to several pages. New topics have been added, among them Abstinence, Cell phones, Managed health care, SARS, and West Nile virus. Most indicative of the times is a new, erudite entry on Weight that furnishes directions for calculating one's body mass index (BMI) and separate comparison graphs of BMI for girls and boys. Modifications to existing topics have been made when warranted by new data. For example, the risks of hormone-replacement treatment are mentioned in the entry Menopause. The newly marketed diabetic pump has been included as a treatment option in Diabetes. Immunization now includes the new chicken-pox vaccine. Marijuana mentions legal use of the drug for medicinal purposes in California and Hawaii.
Standard in each article are a brief summary giving a general overview of the topic and a sidebar of relevant questions and answers. These and other sidebars are color coded to relate them to one of five broad topic areas, such as diseases or treatments. Photographs--some published previously--and other visuals such as diagrams, graphs, and charts are detailed and vivid. In addition to the thematic and general indexes in volume 18, each volume includes its own index.
Although no book can be substituted for trained medical care, the general information furnished in this set offers a good foundation for understanding medical terms and diseases. Recommended for public libraries, the set's strong visuals and ease of use make it a good choice for young adults as well as adults. cheryl ward
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